Founding Conference in Austria, Vienna 2014

With crime rates in Europe being high, personal security and protection of personal property issues are moving into the focus of citizens across the European Union. Whilst the Police is doing an incredibly good job to resolve crimes and to prevent the spreading out of organized crime, the citizens of Europe are complementing police efforts by establishing Neighbourhood Watch organisations.

proNACHBAR, the first Austrian neighbourhood watch organisation, founded in 2007, has set up links with other European neighbourhood watch organisations and has initiated the foundation of the European Neighbourhood Watch Association (EUNWA).

EUNWA's purpose is to act as umbrella organization for neighbourhood watch associations and similar organisations in various European countries pursuing the prevention of crimes through cooperation among their members and with the police and other relevant local institutions and authorities.

EUNWA is now officially established. THANK YOU!

We would like to invite others organizations to join this European neighbourhood watch association.

PRESS RELEASE [Vienna, Oct 27th, 2014]

European neighbourhood watch organisations team up to reduce crime

Open borders, increasing international mobility and reduction of police forces have all had an impact on the feeling of security across Europe. This is why more and more European citizens are forming neighbourhood watch organisations with the objective to reduce property crime. Last week, representatives of these organisations met in Vienna, Austria, to sign up as members of the newly founded European Neighbourhood Watch Association (EUNWA).

Karl Brunnbauer, founder and President of the EUNWA said:

"Citizens across Europe are increasingly worried about becoming victims of burglary and property crime. At the same time, organised crime does not respect any national borders and criminal methods are quickly transferred from one country to another."

It is necessary to react to these developments and keep people informed about new tricks and scams. As a consequence, proNACHBAR, the oldest Austrian neighbourhood watch organisation, decided to set up a European umbrella association."

On 23 and 24 October 2014, 40 delegates representing 25 crime prevention organisations from 19 European countries, assembled to discuss national neighbourhood watch activities, approaches to crime prevention and a way forward for EUNWA. At the end of convention, the Founding Document was signed by all participating organisations.

"We are very impressed by the level of interest and participation from across Europe. It confirms that there is a need to cooperate internationally and that our effort has been worth it. We are already starting to think about next year’s conference”, says Brunnbauer.

About the European Neighbourhood Watch Association (EUNWA)

EUNWA was founded in 2014 as an umbrella organisation for European neighbourhood watch organisations. 25 neighbourhood watch and crime prevention organisations from 19 European countries are founding members, including large non government organisations such as Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network (England and Wales), VoisinsVigilants France and Samverkan mot Brott Sweden. EUNWA embraces the interests of several millions European citizens.